Social network and market orientation as the key factors in determining the success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia

This study aims at investigating the key determinants towards SMEs success in Malaysia. Nowadays, SMEs are considered as the main driver for the industrial development in Malaysia. Economic Census of Malaysia (2011) reported that there were around 97.3% of total SMEs establishments in Malaysia. Although there are a lot of supports given by the government, most SMEs in Malaysia are still struggling in terms of establishing themselves in the market. Only half of the SMEs in Malaysia managed to survive after three years of business operation. This study is very important as it helps to determine the key success factor for SMEs success particularly in Malaysia. The respondents for this study were SMEs from various industries in Sabah, Malaysia. The total number of questionnaires distributed to SMEs was 170. Based on the results and findings of this study, it was found that market orientation has a significant relationship with SMEs success. This study, therefore, through its research and findings has contributed significantly to both theoretical and practical implications. This study can help to provide the information related to the factors that contribute to the SMEs success and can benefit the government in an effort to promote more SMEs success in Malaysia

Individual, structural, and institutional factors are involved to boost the informal entrepreneurial activities. A literature review of developing nations

The study reviews the literature of determinants of informal entrepreneurship in developed and developing nations and finds the major causes that fabricate the informal culture, which is individuallevel, structural level and institutional level. The objective of this paper is to explore the important determinants of informal entrepreneurship in developing nations. Few factors have commonalities with other factors that have been discussed in the literature. Few determinants have explored as additional determinants that have not been discussed by Colin’s Model that was based on developed nations. This study has explored these factors as some additional factors in Colin’s model. Additional factors are entrepreneurial spawning, availability of resources, family tradition, and support of family members. No single factor is yet able to detect the difficulties of this sector, the nature of the informal entrepreneurship is always clarified by a “cocktail” of factors

Psychological Traits as Key Factors in Determining an Entrepreneurial Intention among Students in Malaysia

This study examines key success factors in determining the entrepreneurial intention among students in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The key success factors for this study include locus of control, tolerance for ambiguity, need for achievement and innovativeness. The respondents for this study were students in higher learning institutions in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia. The total number of questionnaires distributed was 400 and 336 questionnaires were usable. Based on the results and findings of this study, it was found that locus of control, need for achievement and innovativeness have contributed significantly towards entrepreneurial intention among students. While, tolerance for ambiguity was not among the predictors towards entrepreneurial intention in this study. This study through its research and findings has contributed significantly to both theoretical and practical implications. This study can help to provide the information related to entrepreneurial intention among students and can benefit the government in an effort to encourage more graduate students to get involved in entrepreneurial ventures

Self-Efficacy and Self-Independence in Promoting Self-Employment Intention among University Students

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of self-efficacy and self-independence in promoting self-employment intention among university students. This study is developed based on entrepreneurial intention described by Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) and Shapero and Sokol (1982). Although the evidence showed that one-third of new entrepreneurs in the United States were those individuals with the ages of 30 and below (Kuratko, 2005) butstill not all graduate students are willing to choose entrepreneurship as their career. There are still a limited number of students who are willing to start a business soon after they graduate from the university (Hisrich and Peters, 2002). Therefore, it is the aim of this study to investigate both roles of self-efficacy and self-independence in influencing the decision to choose self-employment as a career among university students. The respondents for this study were university students in Sabah, Malaysia. 400 questionnaires were distributed in this study resulting only in 260 usable questionnaires. Based on the results of this study, it was found that both self-efficacy and self-independence have a significant relationship with self-employment intention. This study, therefore, through its research and findings has contributed significantly to both theoretical and practical implications. This study is able to provide the information on the factors that determine self-employment career among university graduates

Key Influencing Factors on Entrepreneurial Motivation among Women Entrepreneurs

The aim of this study is to investigate the key determinants on entrepreneurial motivation among women entrepreneurs particulalrly in Sabah, Malaysia. This study focuses on two personality factors in studying the motivation among women entrepreneurs. These two key personality factors were need for achievement and self-efficacy. Structured questionnaire instrument was used in this study. The respondents of this study are 400 women entrepreneurs located around Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Based on the results and findings of this study, the result showed that only need for achievement has a relationship with entrepreneurial motivation among women entrepreneurs in Sabah. The findings of this study revealed the importance of need for achievement and its role in promoting an entrepreneurial motivation among women entrepreneurs. With this information, the government can develop appropriate entrepreneurial programs, which highlight the need for achievement in an effort to promote an entrepreneurial motivation among women entrepreneurs

Evaluating the motives of child labourers in the informal economy

Conventionally, the marginalised population was considered to engage in child labour due to poverty, education or lack of other options, but indeed, a few children work voluntarily. However, a growing number of scholars, in recent years, have drawn their attention to the valuable question, “why children are engaged in child labour in the informal economy”. Even though a few studies have explored the motives of informal workers, to our knowledge not a single paper has explored the motives of child labourers working in the informal economy. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by evaluating the motives of child labourers, through three competing theorisations of the informal economy

Pengajian keusahawanan sebagai alternatif untuk menangani masalah pengangguran siswazah: Satu analisis

Isu berhubung dengan pengangguran di kalangan siswazah seringkali dikaitkan dengan kadar pertumbuhan ekonomi yang agak perlahan, penawaran dan pertambahan mendadak jumlah guna tenaga kerja daripada kalangan siswazah disamping ketidakupayaan sektor awam dan sektor swasta untuk menyerap siswazah ini. Pada masa yang sama itu terdapat juga dakwaan bahawa siswazah yang dikeluarkan ini tidak dapat mempamerkan keyakinan diri, kurang kemampuan berkomunikasi dengan baik. Tanpa mahu menuding jari kepada mana-mana pihak tindakan segera perlu perlu dilakukan. Sebagai pilihan, penulis beranggapan bahawa bidang keusahawanan berupaya untuk menampung keperluan untuk menyediakan pekerjaan. Pelajar diperingkat sekolah mahupun di Universiti perlu diberikan kemahiran dan ilmu yang bersesuaian untuk membolehkan mereka menceburi bidang keusahawanan. Kertas kerja ini berangggapan bahawa Pengajian keusahawanan disamping berfungsi sebagai suatu disiplin ilmu perlu memenuhi tuntutan majikan untuk memperolehi guna tenaga yang ‘versatile’. Pada masa yang sama pengajian keusahawanan boleh diperkenalkan sebagai suatu bidang dwi pengkhususan dalam membantu menangani kelemahan graduan dalam melengkapkan diri mereka untuk menghadapi dunia pekerjaan. Pengajian keusahawanan perlu diterapkan bukan sahaja dalam disiplin sains sosial tetapi juga sains tulin sebagai suatu ilmu baru yang dapat menyuntik sifat kreativiti dan sikap inovatif dikalangan mahasiswa

Influence of Prior Family Business Exposure, Motivation and Growth Intention on Financial Bootstrapping among women entrepreneurs: Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Competencies

Women’s role in a nation’s growth and prosperity cannot be denied today. They are not only creating wealth and jobs but at the same time they are also providing diversified and innovative touch to the existing system. Today women entrepreneurs represent the fastest growing segment of small businesses and educated population which has resulted in more stable and stronger version of a country’s economy. Women empowerment is a common discussion topic in the world but even today women led enterprises face several challenges. This study focuses on the role of prior family business exposure, motivation and growth intention on financial bootstrapping among women entrepreneurs using quantitative strategy and cross sectional research design. Sample of 320 women entrepreneurs has been selected and survey questionnaire technique has been used to collect the data using convenient sampling technique. Results of the study suggest that there is a positive and significant effect of motivation, growth intention and prior family business exposure on financial bootstrapping. Lastly, entrepreneurial competencies moderates the relationship between all the independent variables and dependent variable i.e. financial bootstrapping